Promises
by Audriel
Summary: Tifa's thoughts about a certain man... a certain ring... and a certain promise.... [Advent Children Spoilers]


Hi there! This is my first attempt in making FFVII fanfic. Honestly, I'm not a gamer, so there are probably some inaccuracies in the story. Then why? I'm simply someone who fell in love at the first sight with Advent Children and the more I interested, I fell in love with the whole story of FFVII. I love the complexity of the story and the characters. I found myself interested in Tifa's character somehow, she isn't as pretty or as perfect as Aerith –probably some/most of you think that way- But her imperfect character and her ability to understand and handle the nearly wordless and expressionless Cloud amazed me to no end, making me to think there's more to Tifa than it seems.

This story is taken from Tifa's perspective, and as fanfic does the story is purely my assumption based on actual facts. Standard disclaimer applies to every fanfic I made, this fic is included. Have a nice reading!

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Seventh Heaven was currently closed for a week's notice to reorganize itself. With the Geostigma cured, the orphans whom Tifa had taken under her wing seemed much livelier and definitely happier. She couldn't be much happier than to see the smiles returned to their faces, especially Marlene and Denzel who had become her family. She knew she couldn't take care of them forever even though how much she liked them, but she had a bar to run and her place wasn't exactly suitable for the children. She would need to let them go eventually, she let out a silent sigh.

Tifa was sitting behind the counter two books were laid open in front of her, bills and letters were scattered around. She tapped her pen on the book, so far her place had managed well. She could reduce the expenses to minimum and gain more profit. There wasn't much to worry about, added with other income from Strife Delivery Service. A small smile crept to her beautiful face when she thought of her childhood friend. He at last returned to them… to _her_.

It was a surprise that Cloud decided to stay in Midgar after the defeat of Sephiroth and Meteor. She was more than happy back then. They built another Seventh Heaven together that would become their new home. With the presence of Marlene and Denzel, the home felt complete with a family resided within. She could recall the feelings she had, how happy she was to regain what she had lost.

She didn't fail to notice that Cloud was as happy as her, if not more or less, being the one who understood him most. She thought it was time for Cloud to release his burden and start living for the present. It seemed so in the beginning but somehow once again, Cloud became distant. He often went early and returned late, busying himself with the delivery service. The delivery service itself was a successful business, it wasn't strange that they had a lot of orders every week but Tifa knew that Cloud was hiding something and tried to cover it. There were times when she wanted to confront him to ask what was wrong and helped him through it. However, every time she would look at him, she could see that nothing would make him tell what burdened him. In the end she only chose to retreat back to the sidelines and gave him comfort as much as she could for the man she loved dearly.

She put down the pen and moved her gaze through the window, she could see the glittering stars up in the heavens. Her eyes softened as the memory of the promise made at the well came through her mind. She loved Cloud, she didn't realize it at first, only the memory of the promise that kept surfacing in her mind. When she had found him without his real memories, all of her feelings for him resurfaced. She decided to stay by his side despite all the dangers without any hesitation. She joined AVALANCHE along with him and went through many battles. She hesitated only when he asked about memories of his past, afraid that it would only hurt him more. Then, together with him too, she met Aerith, a beautiful and kind flower girl.

The closer Aerith and Cloud, the more she felt something tugging her heart painfully and slowly she figured that she had fallen in love with his childhood friend. She couldn't help to feel jealous around them and see how Aerith was able to make him happy. She couldn't hate Aerith, for she was her best friend and sister figure for her. All she could choose was to give him comfort as his best friend, not more though it was killing her from the inside. It pained her most when they lost Aerith, grieving not only for herself and the others but also for him. She understood how much it pained him more than anyone else.

She realized how much Cloud cared for the last Cetra whom he was supposed to protect and she felt that she couldn't replace Aerith in his heart. She had considered to giving up all her feelings toward him yet, she couldn't. Even how much she tried to give up, it became harder for her to let go. In the end she chose to remain by his side, giving her support the best she could as a friend, as a comrade, even though the fact that she wouldn't be more than that made her heart break. Her hope grew when spent their time together and saw how much he cared for her, how much he tried to fulfill his promise to her and how he chose to stay in Midgar together with her after it was all over. Only to see that he hadn't let go of the past, kept blaming himself for his failures and distanced himself further.

Somehow she was able to hide her hurt to his indirect rejection. They were so close, yet they were so far away. But she couldn't hate him for everything he had gone through, she loved him so much that she couldn't leave him. She came to a decision to give up hoping that things would eventually work between them. Instead she learned to love him unconditionally, giving without expecting him to return her feelings. She tried to love another but no one could replace him in her heart as much as Aerith in his heart. When she finally accepted their relationship would never be more than friends, to her surprise she didn't feel pain or disappointment any longer probably because she had nothing to lose.

She ended up spending her day busying herself with her place and the orphans, welcoming him everytime he returned but never questioning or confronting him of his absence. Marlene, being rather wise and observant for her age, noticed the slight change but couldn't fully comprehend it. She only smiled when the little girl asked her whether she loved Cloud or not and patted her head gently thus not answering the question. Her feelings to him didn't change and her loyalties remained to him, the only difference that she no longer hoped more from him and she knew Marlene wouldn't be able to understand it no matter how she tried to explain. However, she knew it couldn't keep up like this forever. He was beginning to leave and return when people were asleep to many people's disappointment. She could handle the disappointment but she couldn't help to see the children's disappointed faces when they found their favorite brother was seldom at home.

She woke up in the middle of the night, she could make out faint outline of the windowsill as moonlight shone through, illuminating her room. She slipped out from the bed covers, wrapped herself in warm shawl and walked out silently to outside her room. It was dark and silent inside the unoccupied bar though some of the moonlight managed to shine their way through. She stood still in her place as she heard a faint sound of footsteps downstairs, heading towards the front door. She could easily recognize those features even in the darkness.

Cloud.

He was walking toward the front door, he was fully clothed in his usual attire, black sleeveless sweater and black pants. He didn't seem to notice her presence or her wary gaze to his moving figure. When he disappeared behind the door, she quickly descended down the stairs without much noise, careful not to disturb the sleeping children. She grabbed the doorknob and hesitated for a moment before turning it open.

There he was standing beside his Fenrir, preparing to leave. His back was facing her, oblivious of her presence. She purposely closed the door rather loudly, enough to get his attention. She could see his back tensed as she slowly approached him and stopped within arm length.

"Cloud…" she spoke softly though it could be heard clearly in the silence and the distance they had. It seemed he recognized her voice and he became less tense albeit slightly. He turned himself to look at her.

"…Tifa," his bright blue eyes shining in the darkness, not betraying any emotion he had when he saw her.

"You're going to leave…" it wasn't a question, it was a statement. He noticed it too, but said nothing. His face remained impassive and his eyes were on her.

"Always leave when nobody notice, either busy or asleep," she took another step forward, "for what reason now?"

"I have my reasons," he answered monotonously.

"What else burdens you, Cloud?" she titled her head slightly, "You have another burden on your shoulder it seems for me"

She knew she was right when he removed his gaze from her.

"Can't you share it with us?"

"I can't," he spoke, barely in a whisper.

"You can't or you won't?" she looked at him directly, demanding for an explanation but he showed no reaction. Knowing she wouldn't get any answer, she continued,

"You don't really trust anyone, do you?" she spoke sadly, avoiding looking at him, "You're running away like always. Drifting away. You know it won't solve anything"

Her only reply was silence, she took another step closer to the man who held her heart.

"I can understand whatever reason why you must leave, but the children… they can't. You don't know how much the children miss you, waiting patiently and hopefully for your return only to find you return when they're asleep and leave before they're awake. I don't know if you notice their disappointment. I see it everyday in their eyes," she paused,

"Leave if you must leave, but please at least consider the children's feelings. Return when they're awake for once. Can you at least do that?"

At last his gaze returned to her, there was a slight sadness and guilt in his eyes.

"I'll manage"

"I have your word then," she didn't push further, knowing him too well. She pulled out a wrapped up bento from under her shawl and gave it to him.

"It can last for days, you need healthy food during your leave or travel or whatever it is." Hesitantly he took the wrapped bento from her hand.

"And…" her hand moved toward her right ear where her silver earring was. She seemed thoughtful before she took off her earring. It was her treasure, it used to be her mother's. She placed the earring on his hand, she could see his eyes widened slightly, he knew what it meant to her.

"Return this when you won't come back to us ever again." _Keep it_. Having nothing else to say, she was about to retreat to the bar when a strong hand grabbed her hand, abruptly stopping her from leaving. She turned to look at him instinctively only to find he was looking at her seriously.

She frowned, silently demanding for an explanation.

"I want you to promise me," he spoke without hesitation.

"What do you want me to promise?" she merely looked at him, not giving anything to show the inner turmoil she had. She had uneasy feeling about the promise somehow.

"If I were to return and stay, would you accept me back?"

Her eyes instantly softened when she heard those words, she was reminded of her own promise to herself.

"This is _our_ home, Cloud. Different with two years ago, this time both of us have a place to return to. You know that I'll accept you back no matter how long you've been gone. I'll always be there for you. There's no need to promise anything," she smiled to him. She could see a flicker of surprise in his eyes then suddenly he moved toward his pocket and pulled out what it seemed like a… ring? She looked at the ring in confusion. Wordlessly, he wore the ring on her right hand, she had a good view of fenrir engraved on the ring.

"Cloud, this-" her mind wasn't able to comprehend what was happening.

"I'm sorry for everything I made you through and… thank you… for everything you've done for me," their eyes met and that moment she knew he meant those words. Her eyes still showed her confusion and suddenly she felt fear, as if he was going to leave and never come back. Before she could respond, his gentle squeeze on her hand stopped the words to come out. She thought she saw something in his eyes, but before she could confirm it he let go of her hand and rode on his Fenrir. Without sending another glance, he wore his specs and left, leaving a confused Tifa.

For a moment, she simply stood there, trying to make sure that it was only a dream only to find it wasn't. The face of fenrir on her right hand confirmed it. The emotion she thought she had seen was something she didn't expect.

It was love.

She couldn't help to feel her hopes rise within her, but she managed to suppress it. She was afraid what exactly his words meant, and afraid it would be their last. However, she understood what he wanted with the ring –the promise ring-. He _needed_ her and he would _try_ to return to her as she would wait for him.

She held on to the promise and always wore it to remember her promise to wait for him. She still wore it when she finally found out the truth why he had left in the first place and found the courage to confront him. Her words were rather harsh but her eyes told him the truth.

She had faith in him.

And she knew he knew. After he left to save the children, a small smile appeared in her face. She knew he would return to the Cloud he knew and silently prayed that he understood that he never failed any of them, even Aerith. It seemed Aerith heard her prayer by giving him the answers he needed.

She couldn't express how relieved she was to see Cloud when the Bahamut was making chaos. She could see that the burden on his shoulders had lessened as she looked at his back. She didn't need any invitation to jump to sit behind him like always. As they headed to aid their friends, she asked a question she would always remember,

"Feeling better?"

"Never better," and she didn't fail to notice a ghost of a smile on his face.

From the moment she saw him fight alongside with their friends to his fight with Kadaj, her faith in him never wavered.

He was honest, it was true. He fought for what he believed in. He hadn't been able to fight because of his indecisiveness, his doubts, guilt, and fears. But Aerith showed him answers and opened his eyes, removing everything that had been clouding his mind.

She couldn't help to be worried though as there was explosion, she felt something had happened to Cloud. When she was trying to find out, she heard a familiar voice spoke to her.

_The church._

Even though for years she hadn't heard the voice, she could recognize that voice instantly. Without any hesitation she followed _her_,

"Cid, head to the church"

"Huh?"

"Cloud will be there." Her friends gave her confused and disbelief looks, she even thought Vincent slightly twitched his eyebrow under his dark locks.

"Don't ask," she held back a grin, "I just know"

Indeed, they found him there, so was the children. She had no doubt who told them to find him there.

_Aerith…_

When he looked up to find her, she only gave her I-told-you-so look and folded her arms. She didn't need to tell him how happy she was for him and the children. As she saw the relieved and happy faces of the children, especially Denzel and the change in Cloud's eyes, she knew she owed the Cetra very much.

_Thank you…_

_Don't mention it. _Her eyes widened in surprise as she heard her reply. Fortunately, no one else seemed to notice. On intuition, she turned herself to look at the entrance only to see her best friend smiling to her, bathed in ethereal glow.

_Everything will be alright. Now it's up to you, Tifa. _

She returned her smile and nodded that she would do her best to keep her family and friends together. Aerith nodded slightly and walked away from her and the others, leaving the rest to them.

She closed her eyes and smiled in content as her mind replayed all the previous memories. It felt good to see Aerith once again, knowing she was always watching them. She collected the scattered papers and slipped it inside the book, securing it with paperclips. She closed the book quietly, as if any loud noise would disturb the sleeping children upstairs. She placed the book inside a drawer and locked it. Her ears caught familiar rumbling of Fenrir that stopped in front of the bar. She raised her head to find the man she had kept her promise to.

"Tadaima," his low deep voice resonated throughout the deserted area.

"Okaeri," she gave him her warmest smile, meaning every word she said.

She saw how his eyes softened every time she welcomed him back after that day. She promised herself to be the home where he could always return to, giving all the comfort and warmth. She would keep her promise, like he had kept his.

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There you go. What do you think? Good, bad or ugly? XDD Probably some of you are confused with Tifa's character in my story. I've read a plenty of other fanfics about Tifa and I've reached to a conclusion of Tifa's main character: kind, caring, blunt/honest, tough, surely a fighter, yet rather vulnerable when it comes to her emotions. It is fairly obvious that she loved Cloud. At first it seemed only a childish love to someone she recognized as her hero but as the story went, through Aerith's death, Cloud's mako poisoning, the fell into Lifestream and the last fight, how she remained by his side even though it was supposed to be killing her from inside because it was rather obvious back then that Cloud cared for the last Cetra, probably because some part of Zack, but who knew. It showed that her love to Cloud was a pure, true love and she was one tough girl. But even though so, I just think you can't love someone without naturally expecting your feelings to be returned, that's the case with Tifa and the non responsive Cloud. I can't really imagine Tifa keep waiting or give up either, so I chose between. She kept loving Cloud but gave up hoping, loving him unconditionally. There are cases like that around me : ) And for Cloud giving that ring… I just can't imagine that cold and stoic and antisocial and…huh, the list can be long, could ask Tifa's hand in marriage, like… fell on his knees and asked 'Will you marry me' thingie. Nope. Yeah, I can't. And my friend agreed with that. 

Honestly, I'm thinking of another chapter to show more of Cloud's perspective but I'll wait for your responses first. More than 5 positive reviews, I s'pose I'll continue. So, review! They are greatly appreciated. Thank you very much!


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